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Crescent Elites
:: ''The Crescent Elites ''are a newly built Imperial Guard Regiment, constituted to act as the "front line intelligence operatives" for the Imperium of Man. Actually a unit hidden from most of their brothers and sisters, The Crescent Elites act as covert operatives embedded on Imperial territory. They usually prefer to stand back and let the Space Marines do the work. However, should they be forced to fight, they are known to impress even some Chapter Masters. The Imperium uses them as intelligence operatives, so they do not posses the traditional equipment of their brothers and sisters. They use light armor, classic bolters, sniper rifles and "hard hitting guns like heavy Stubbers" (should they enter a conflict). They deploy in the form of a crescent to flank and, should the chance present itself, to surround the enemy from all sides. Charges of Heresy The Crescent Elites are believed to be one of the most loyal servants of the Emperor of Mankind. However, some accounts state that they do not believe the Emperor of Mankind is a god. In fact, some "anonymous tips" suggest that The Crescent Elites only revere him as a great hero, but are rumored to refuse his ascension to godhood and believe a religion that was destroyed by the Emperor of Mankind right before the start of the Great Crusade. That's why they were accused with heresy "twice" and the Inquisition dispatched forces to investigate. However, none of these "anonymous tips" had concrete evidence to support them so, at the moment, they are cleared from all these charges and continue to serve the Imperium of Man with honor. The Redemption And Organization The Crescent Elites are divided into 200 person groups called "Bolter Shells". There are presumed to be around 100 of these shells, each having a different mission. Every member of these "Bolter Shells" are chosen randomly. However, Acting Commander Lune states that they put different personalities together to increase close cooperation and teamwork. After a lot of training, tests, exams and missions with their "supervisors", those shells that pass and acquire more than a "required score" go through their "Redemption" and get deployed. The Redemption is the final test, "the final restriction within a human's mind.". Each Redemption is unique and thus, completely flexible. It is said that this test starts with drinking a vial and then, what happens is completely special to that person. If someone fails his/her Redemption (which happens very rarely), the one who fails is granted a quick death because of a side effect the liquid inside the vial. Moreover, the remaining soldiers in the entire shell is decommissioned, dispersed and mixed with the next upcoming shells. After their Redemption, these men and women are rumored to lose interest in all humanly desires, personal wishes and mortal pleasures. They commit themselves to The Imperium and The Emperor only. However, they do not get separated from all the living world and turn into soulless machines. Their ability to think freely and sense of honor, along with many other feelings, are preserved and sometimes, get enhanced. Uniform Because their units are tasked with infiltration and espionage rather than a direct fight, there is no official uniform they wear except their formal outfit. However, these outfits are worn only during the redemption of that specific shell and if that soldier is called to an important ceremony. During major battles, in fact, they apply their "insignia" like a tattoo to whatever uniform they are wearing. Their insignia is like a different model of their flag, which also helps them to recognize each other with ease. However, if two different shells meet somewhere in the battlefield, it is rumored that they ask each other "quick questions" to verify their allegiance. Training Recent studies indicate that The Crescent Elites are actually chosen and start getting trained from birth, not conscripted. They do not have the gene improvements like Space Marines do (obviously), but it is suspected that their training is led by an unknown faction of Space Marines, possibly descending from a loyalist unit (not enough to call a chapter) of Alpha Legion that might have survived. The most important fact about them is that they are always chosen from people living on Holy Terra, no matter the background of their families or the influence they posses. There are a lot of rumors about their training, but the way they fight and act proves one thing: Their training is brutal. However, the result of their training bears fruit, for they posses the ability to fight on any terrain, be it a cold wasteland or a harsh mountain world. The Crescent Formation is also considered one of the most efficient strategies existing in our timeline, but it has to be executed at the right moment and requires perfectly disciplined units to do so. That's why they are the only Imperial Guard regiment that can execute it as it should be. Commissars The Crescent Elites, like all Astra Militarum regiments, have commissars. These commissars, however, are handpicked by the "Bolter" and are given a secondary training to make them accustomed to the shells they will command. These commissars are also obliged to go through their own "Redemption". According to the reports in the hands of Officio Prefectus, these commissars rarely execute their assigned troops, only upon a treasonous act or confirmed heresy. The Officio Prefectus did nothing against these actions, only because the path taken by a commissar is not important if the result is as demanded. The mission of these commissars look successful, as the discipline of their soldiers are inspirational. Strategies The Crescent Elites excel at cunning operations and wars of attrition. That is why they are rarely seen in war zones. The Dark Crusade proves their supremacy in stealth as they were the agents that helped their brothers and sisters to gain a foothold on the planet and ultimately, the establishment of Victory Bay. However, their failure to defend it against the Space Marines and the other threats embedded on Kronus left a dark scar on The Crescent Elites and some soldiers still hold a grudge against the Blood Ravens even today for their ultimate defeat. Kronus campaign also resulted with The Crescent Elites being reformed by their new Acting Commander who invented the "Redemption" and increased the number of the bolter shells they had. Should the enemy be heavily armed, they also use the heavy armor of their enemies against them, pinning them down on one spot and taking them out by circling or running around their cover, ensuring their death before they gain a chance to move. Light armored enemies, however, require a more direct approach. Since the enemy is hard to pin down, they either lash out in hopes of a close combat, or make use of their long range weapons, taking the enemy down without getting in their weapon range. Some civilians who saw the way they fight described them as "The dagger of the Emperor", attributed to their size and lethal skills. Equipment The Crescent Elites are not issued with the classic equipment of their brother and sister units. They use a wide range of weaponry, from sniper rifles to bolt pistols, melta guns, lasguns, plasma cannons, heavy stubbers, almost all types of melee weaponry, autoguns and shotguns. The shells are trained with most of the weapons The Imperium uses, however, it is possible to specialize a shell to use a single type of weapon. For example, the 44th shell is called, among their fellow shells, "Shell Flashlight" which means the entire shell use only lasguns. Relics Of The Regiment It is unusual for an Astra Militarum regiment to have relics, however, The Crescent Elites are no ordinary regiment. That's why they also have relics and important artifacts. * The Spear Of Order And Authority: The spear that is currently wielded by Acting Commander Lune Crackham, much to the disgust of the inquisition. The spear is said to be a singing spear which is acquired from a farseer that Lune Crackham defeated in planet Meridian when he, along with his sister Miri Crackham, rallied the Imperial Guard defending the palace of the governor and crushed the eldar forces assaulting to destroy it. However, the Imperial Archives contain no such information about the spear and the origins of it remain known only to Lune Crackham. The spear is powered with psychic energy and according to Lune Crackham, only beings gifted with an enormous amount of knowledge can make it function properly, However, none can truly reveal all of the secrets it posses. It creates a huge impact that can even push wraithlords back if the blunt side of the weapon is smashed to the ground. Also, a crimson crystal shines brightly at the top of the spear and grants various abilities to the wielder, based upon the personality of that person. At the hands of the current owner of this spear, the sharp side of the spear can get ignited via unknown ways and burn the enemies of the wielder, if the wielder wills it. This crystal on top of the spear is also the only reason why the weapon can not be corrupted by the foul entities of the warp and it can be used by non-psykers. * The Edge Of Justice: The famous sword of Hero-Commandant Alexius Kazanov himself. It is rumored that this very weapon was forged by an iron father of the Iron Hands space marine chapter when Alexius Kazanov saved the iron father from certain doom and holding him alive enough for imperial forces to arrive. The sword is rumored to shine brightly, even bright enough to the point where it temporarily blinds the beasts and soldiers of chaos. The sword also channels a strange form of energy, rumored to drain the energy within the enemies of the wielder and utilize their life force against them. The origins of the material used to craft this sword is not known even by Lune Crackham. The sword was taken by Blood Ravens at the end of Kronus Campaign, found on the exact position where Alexius Kazanov sacrificed himself to make sure Lune survived, near his lifeless body. However, after this act, the soldiers who wielded this sword never managed to channel that energy which Alexius Kazanov once did with ease. The sword was later reacquired by The Crescent Elites and is currently at the hands of an "associate of Lune Crackham". Notable Campaigns * ?.M41 The Kronus Campaign: * ?.M41 First Aurelian Crusade: * ?.M41 Second Aurelian Crusade: * ?.M41 Third Aurelian Crusade: * 755-778.M41 The Sabbat Worlds Crusade: * 755-780.M41 Fourth Quadrant Rebellion: * 800-802.M41 The Cleansing and Securing of Space Hulk "Bane of the Imperium": * 901.M41-913.M41 The Badab War: * 941-942.M41 The Second War for Armageddon: * 995-999.M41 The 13th Black Crusade: Chain of Command Even though a mysterious arm of The Imperium, Commander Lune Crackham is the "Acting Leader" of The Crescent Elites who is known for answering directly and only to Senatorum Imperialis. He is also known to "test" the Adeptus Custodes in the Imperial Palace and he always tells the Senatorum Imperialis that they need "proper training". Apart from him, nearly nothing is known about their leadership. There are rumors that they are actually commanded by a "council" that chooses a leader every 4 years. An acting leader is, like an ambassador rather than a commander. However, some sources think that their "council" actually choose 2 leaders, one to appear on the front lines, and the other to stay behind and plan how the troops will fight. Quotes By Them About Them Feel free to add your own! Trivia * The Crescent formation is a fighting strategy that exists in our timeline which was used during many important battles. There are various types of it under names like "Crescent tactic" or "Pincer movement".